Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-22
THE cHesTNur BELL.
The News of Its Existence Finally Reaches
an English Magazine Editor.


an English Magazine Editor.
ToS3y that the Americans have got
new slang expression is like repeat
ing the ancient news that man died
yesterday in London. But there are
giants even among the Brobdingnags,
and from time to time fresh Ameri-
canism breaks out like an Irish rebel
lion thirty thousand strong" and rises
to the dignity of national institution.
Such seems to be the magnitude and
Importance of the simple word 'chest-
nuts" Like many great incarnations
..cbestnuts'' came at first before the
world in humble guise. As an Ameri-
can AnglO-German poet has sung:
No one knew how il started,
Or how de fore-shlog came
but about two years ago, where or
whenever a Frenchman would have
cried "Connu!'' or an Englishman have
murmured Joe Millerr' the Transat-
lantics began to yell "chestnuts!'
Woe to the man who tried to palm off
an ''old soldier for recruit" if any
one was present who recognized a
single feature. But, as usual, when
the etymologists examined the new
phrase, nobody knew whence it came.
1t Was said that the dead chestnut of
. last year suggested, like Villon's SHOWS
of the preceding year or of the south
wind, its origin. Any one who has
prowled in the forests i'll spring time
knows how often chestnut may be
picked up which is fair to view, but
which on examination proves to be
about as valuable as Dead Sea apple.
Another investigator declared that the
word WAS derived from Il certain invet-
crate repeater of worn-Out jokes named
Chestnut. who had actually been in
dicted by grand jury in Connecticut
as public nuisance because nobody
could stand his Stories"
But it is time to consider what will
be the ultimate effect of the chestnut
bell on American intellect and culture.
Is it really good for a country TO have
no old Jokes, no venerable Joes, no
standard IF .'fun?'' Everybody can
not rise to . point of order OF to the
point of ii joke with the acumen of Il
Riddleberger. Even Il great American
declared, after years of investigation
through the annals of medieval, classic,
Egyptian and Assyrian wit and humor,
that there are only twenty-five original
jestS in existence, and that all known
lat the present day can be referred to
one or another OF these. At the end of
the last century the chestnut bell was
rung in France as "COnnur' The re-
suit has been-froth. y feverish fret
fulness for something new, and ever
something new, brought France from
RabeIais to Voltaire-sOme may say
raised it-but the cry of ''Connur' de-
based it to endless isolated frivolous
witticisms. There has been great re-
joicing over the death of the pun; but
even the pun was not so bad as the
mere slang phrase which is succeeding
it.
One can not reflect without horror
what the result would be should this
great American ''campanolOgistic cor
receive" be introduced to England.
Fancy the chestnut bell in our House of
Commons-worse yet, in the House of
Lords! But even here there is gieam
of light. 1t is within the reach of inn
agination to conceive its being rung
With great effect during one of Mr..
Gladstone's speeches. Imagine Lord
Randolph Churchill armed with one!
Imagine-but the Imagination of the
reader will supply the rest. If there
ever was Il bell which deserved to bear
the inscription ''fulgura FRANCO" it is
the chestnut. That will break up the
thunders of "the gods. "-.S0turday Re
a14lU